


Rhysand Knight: Ace Attorney

by glassandroses, milesedgeworthy (glassandroses)



Series: A Court of Ace Attorney [1]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Alternate Universe - A Court of Thorns and Roses Fusion, Alternate Universe - Ace Attorney Fusion, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24036694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glassandroses/pseuds/glassandroses, https://archiveofourown.org/users/glassandroses/pseuds/milesedgeworthy
Summary: Rookie defense attorney Rhysand Knight strives to protect his clients in various murder trials, including the death of his mentor, Nesta Archeron. Rhysand's greatest- and only- ally is Nesta's youngest sister Feyre, a spirit medium whose body can be possessed by Nesta to communicate with him from beyond the grave.Based on the Ace Attorney game series by Capcom.
Relationships: Feyre Archeron/Rhysand
Series: A Court of Ace Attorney [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767067
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	1. The First Turnabout

**August 3, 9:47 AM**  
**District Court**  
**Defendant Lobby No. 2**

_Boy, am I nervous!_ Rhys thought to himself as he sighed, checking his watch for the millionth time since he’d arrived at the courthouse.

“Knight!”

“Oh, h-hiya, Chief.” He stuttered nervously. Nesta Archeron, his boss and one of his oldest friends stood before him, elegant and as ready as she always was.

“Whew, I'm glad I made it on time. Well, I have to say Rhysand, I'm impressed! Not everyone takes on a murder trial right off the bat like this. It says a lot about you... and your client as well.”

“Um... thanks. Actually, it's because I owe him a favor.”

Nesta blinked. “A favor? You mean, you knew the defendant before this case?”

“Yes.” Rhys nodded. “Actually, I kind of owe my current job to him. He's one of the reasons I became an attorney.”

“Well, that's news to me!”

“I want to help him out any way I can! I just... really want to help him, I owe him that much.

A loud, whining voice echoed across the lobby. “It's over! My life, everything, it's all over!”

Nesta grimaced, covering her ears. “...Isn't that your client screaming over there?”

Rhys sighed, resisting the urge to bury his head in his hands. “Yeah... that's him.”

“Death! Despair! Ohhhh! I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna die!!!” His client continued to whine in agony.

“It sounds like he wants to die...” Nesta looked at him suspiciously.

“Um, yeah.” He sighed, rolling his eyes. “He’s always been a bit dramatic-“

“Rhys!!!”

“Hey. Hey there, Larry.” Rhys tried to calm his friend.

“Dude, I'm so guilty!! Tell them I'm guilty!!! Gimme the death sentence! I ain't afraid to die!” Larry winked at him, giving him a thumbs up.

“What!?” Rhys exclaimed in shock, “What's wrong, Larry?”

“Oh, it's all over... I... I'm finished. Finished!” Larry grabbed onto Rhys’ lapels, sinking to the ground. “I can't live in a world without her! I can't! Who... who took her away from me, Rhys? Who did this!? Aww, Rhys, ya gotta tell me! Who took my baby away!?”

 _Hmm... The person responsible for your girlfriend's death? The newspapers say it was you..._ Rhys thought to himself.

_My name is Rhysand Knight. Here's the story: My first case is a fairly simple one. A young woman was killed in her apartment. The guy they arrested was the unlucky sap dating her: Larry Butz... my best friend since grade school. Our school had a saying: "When something smells, it's usually the Butz." In the 23 years I've known him, it's usually been true. He has a knack for getting himself in trouble. One thing I can say though: it's usually not his fault. He just has terrible luck. But I know better than anyone, that he's a good guy at heart. That and I owe him one. Which is why I took the case... to clear his name. And that's just what I'm going to do!_

* * *

**August 3, 10:00 AM**  
**District Court**  
**Courtroom No. 2**

The judge slammed his gavel, sounding the beginning of the trial. “The court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Larry Butz.”

“The prosecution is ready, Your Honor.” Keir Payne, the prosecutor for the case said smugly.

“The, um, defense is ready, Your Honor.” Rhys stuttered.

“Ahem. Mr. Knight?” The judge called his attention, “This is your first trial, is it not?”

“Y-Yes, Your Honor. I'm, um, a little nervous.”

“Hm...” The judge looked him over. “Your conduct during this trial will decide the fate of your client. Murder is a serious charge. For your client's sake, I hope you can control your nerves.”

“Thank... thank you, Your Honor.” Rhys said, beginning to sweat. _Hands shaking... Eyesight... fading..._

“Well, then... The prosecution may give the court their opening statement.”

“Thank you, Your Honor. The victim, Cindy Stone, was killed by blunt force trauma to the side of the head. The murder weapon was this statue of "The Thinker." It was found lying on the floor, next to the victim.”

“I see... the court accepts it into evidence.”

“Knight... Be sure to pay attention to any evidence added during the trial. That evidence is the only ammunition you have in court.“

“Mr. Payne, the prosecution may call its first witness.”

“The prosecution calls the defendant, Mr. Butz, to the stand.”

Rhys turned to look at Nesta. “Um, Chief, what do I do now?”

As always, she had an answer ready for him. “Pay attention. You don't want to miss any information that might help your client's case. You'll get your chance to respond to the prosecution later, so be ready! Let's just hope he doesn't say anything... unfortunate.”

Rhys sighed, more to himself than his mentor. _Uh oh, Larry gets excited easily... this could be bad._

Larry stepped up to the witness stand, proud and oblivious as ever. Rhys held back the urge to groan. With that, Payne cleared his throat. “Ahem. Mr. Butz. Is it not true that the victim had recently dumped you?”

“Hey, watch it buddy!” Larry yelled at the prosecutor, “We were great together! We were Romeo and Juliet, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony!”

Rhys could feel his face getting sweatier. _Um... didn't they all die?_

“I wasn't dumped!” Larry continued on his rant, “She just wasn't taking my phone calls. Or seeing me... Ever. WHAT'S IT TO YOU, ANYWAY!?”

Payne patiently waited for Larry to calm down. “Mr. Butz, what you describe is generally what we mean by ‘dumped.’ In fact, she had completely abandoned you... and was seeing other men! She had just returned from overseas with one of them the day before the murder!”

“Whaddya mean, "one of them"!? Lies! All of it, lies! I don't believe a word of it!” Larry rambled on.

“Your Honor, the victim's passport. According to this, she was in Paris until the day before she died.”

The judge inspected the passport. “Hmm... Indeed, she appears to have returned the day before the murder.”

“Dude... no way...”

“The victim was a model, but did not have a large income. It appears that she had several ‘Sugar Daddies.’”

Larry stared at the prosecutor blankly. “Daddies? Sugar?”

“Yes,” Payne continued, “Older men, who gave her money and gifts. She took their money and used it to support her lifestyle.”

“Duuude!” Larry looked stunned... and a little bit angry.

“We can clearly see what kind of woman this Ms. Stone was. Tell me, Mr. Butz, what do you think of her now?”

“Knight... I don't think you want him to answer that question.” Nesta mused.

Rhys nodded at his boss and slammed his hands on the bench, effectively grabbing the attention of the court. “My client had no idea the victim was seeing other men! That question is irrelevant to this case!”

Payne grumbled and winced.

“Dude! Rhys! Whaddya mean, "irrelevant"!? That cheatin' she-dog!” Larry began to have an outburst. “I'm gonna die. I'm just gonna drop dead! Yeah, and when I meet her in the afterlife... I'm going to get to the bottom of this!”

The courtroom was dead silent, and Rhys resisted the urge to slam his head on the bench.

The judge cleared his throat, “Let's continue with the trial, shall we?”

Payne addressed the court with a sly smile. “I believe the accused's motive is clear to everyone.”

The judge nodded. “Yes, quite.”

 _Oh boy. This is so not looking good._ Rhys thought.

Payne continued, “Next question! You went to the victim's apartment on the day of the murder, did you not?”

Larry gulped.

Payne drummed his fingers on the bench. “Well, did you, or did you not?”

Larry chuckled nervously, “Heh? Heh heh. Well, maybe I did, and maybe I didn't!”

 _Uh oh. He went. I'll send him a signal..._ Rhys tried to tap on a file to get his attention. ‘’LIE LIKE A DOG.’ He mouthed behind the paper, hiding his face from Payne and the judge.

Larry seemed to get the hint- for once, “Um, well, see, it's like this: I don't remember.”

Payne snorted. “You ‘don't remember’? Well then, we'll just have to remind you!”

_I got a bad feeling about this..._ Rhys gulped.

Payne continued, “We have a witness that can prove he DID go to the victim's apartment that day!”

"Well, that simplifies matters.” The judge said, “Who is your witness?"

“The man who found the victim's body. Just before making the gruesome discovery... He saw the defendant fleeing the scene of the crime!”

There was a collective gasp from the crowd, followed by mumbling surrounding the room.

The judge slammed his gavel three times, silencing the court, “Order! Order in the court! Mr. Payne, the prosecution may call its witness.”

Yes, Your Honor.” Payne said, sending a smug look to the defense- more specifically, Rhys.

Rhys shuddered. _This is bad..._

Payne drawled on, “On the day of the murder, my witness was selling newspapers at the victim's building. Please bring Mr. Frank Sahwit to the stand!”

Sahwit approached the witness stand, smiling so wide his eyes were closed and Rhys had to wonder how he hadn’t tripped over himself walking.

Payne began his questioning, “Mr. Sahwit, you sell newspaper subscriptions, is this correct?”

“Oh, oh yes! Newspapers, yes!” Sawhit sounded as cheerful as he looked. 

The judge spoke up, “Mr. Sahwit, you may proceed with your testimony. Please tell the court what you saw on the day of the murder.”

“I was going door-to-door, selling subscriptions when I saw a man fleeing an apartment. I thought he must be in a hurry because he left the door half-open behind him. Thinking it strange, I looked inside the apartment. Then I saw her lying there... A woman... not moving... dead! I quailed in fright and found myself unable to go inside. I thought to call the police immediately! However, the phone in her apartment wasn't working. I went to a nearby park and found a public phone. I remember the time exactly: It was 1:00 PM. The man who ran was, without a doubt, the defendant sitting right over there.”

“Hmm...” The judge pondered once the witness was done testifying.

Rhys felt himself sweat. _Larry! Why didn't you tell the truth? I can't defend you against a testimony like that!_

The judge continued, “Incidentally, why wasn't the phone in the victim's apartment working?”

Payne spoke up, “Your Honor, at the time of the murder, there was a blackout in the building.”

The judge turned to the prosecutor, “Aren't phones supposed to work during a blackout?”

“Yes, Your Honor...” Payne continued, “However, some cordless phones do not function normally. The phone that Mr. Sahwit used was one of those. Your Honor... I have a record of the blackout, for your perusal.”

“Accepted into evidence,” the judge told him, “Now, Mr. Knight...”

Rhys snapped up, alert, “Yes! Er... yes, Your Honor?”

“You may begin your cross-examination.” The judge nodded at him.

“Alright, Knight, this is it. The real deal!” Nesta said beside him, drawing his attention.

“Uh...” Rhys said with a nervous chuckle, “What exactly am I supposed to do?”

Nesta looked shocked, “Why, you expose the lies in the testimony the witness just gave!”

Rhys shared her same shocked look, “Lies! What?! He was lying!?”

Nesta nodded, “Your client is innocent, right? Then that witness must have lied in his testimony! Or is your client really... guilty?”

“No! No way!” Rhys protested, “...How do I prove he's not?”

Nesta looked nervous but didn’t hesitate to explain, “You hold the key! It's in the evidence! Compare the witness's testimony to the evidence at hand. There's bound to be a contradiction in there! First, find contradictions between the Court Record and the witness's testimony. Then, once you've found the contradicting evidence... present it and rub it in the witness's face!”

Rhys was even more nervous than he already was, “Um... okay.”

Nesta nodded, unsure but hopeful, “Use the evidence in the Court Record and point out contradictions in the testimony!”

Rhys took a deep breath, looking at the evidence in front of him. _Contradictions... evidence... I have to connect the two somehow._ He thought through the witness’s testimony.

_I remember the time exactly: It was 1:00 PM._

Something about that sentence felt off. He looked through the Court Record for something that contradicted, finding nothing until... _The autopsy report said her estimated time of death was after 4 PM... Aha!_

“Objection!” Rhys shouted, pointing his finger at the witness, “You found the body at 1:00 PM. You're sure?”

Sahwit nodded furiously, “Yes. It was 1:00 PM, for certain.”

“Frankly, I find that hard to believe! Your statement directly contradicts the autopsy report. The autopsy notes the time of death at sometime after 4PM. There was nobody to... er... no "body" to find at 1:00 PM!” He saw Nesta roll her eyes at his joke, “How do you explain this three-hour gap?”

Sahwit looked stunned, “Oh, that! Oh, er...”

“Objection!” Payne shouted, “This is trivial! The witness merely forgot the time!”

The judge shook his head, “After his testimony, I find that hard to believe. Mr. Sahwit... Why were you so certain that you found the body at 1:00 PM?”

Sahwit stuttered, “I.. er... well, I... Gee, that's a really good question!”

“Great job, Knight! Way to put him on the spot! That's all you have to do: point out contradictions! Lies always beget more lies! See through one, and their whole story falls apart!”

Sahwit interrupted their thoughts, “Wait! I remember now!”

“Would you care to give your testimony again?”

Thus, the court proceeded with testimony after testimony, Rhys being able to break every one. He found that The Thinker, the statue and the murder weapon, was actually a clock. He then said that the only way the witness would have known that was that he went into the apartment and held the clock himself. He managed to edge Sahwit into a corner.

“Objection!” Payne yelled desperately, sweating profusely, “W-w-what's the meaning of this? This is all baseless conjecture!”

“Baseless...? Just look at the witness's face!” Rhys countered.

Sahwit was breathing and sweating heavily, looking as if he could faint any moment. “Ngh... grrrah!”

The judge looked Would the witness care to elaborate? Did you strike the victim with the clock?

“I... I...! That... that day... I... I never! Look... I... the clock... I heard, no! I mean, I saw...Saw... nggg! Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Sahwit torr off his toupee, throwing it at Rhys, “Shutupshutupshutup! I hate you! I-it was him, I tell you! I saw him! H-he killed her and he should burn! Burn! Give him death!”

A very shocked judge banged his gavel, “Order! Order in the court I say!”

Payne was sweating bullets, “Your Honor, a-a moment please! There isn't a shred of evidence supporting the defense's claims!”

The judge ignored him. “Mr. Knight!”

“Your Honor?” Rhys replied.

“You claim the sound the witness heard came from the clock...” The judge stared him down, “Do you have any evidence?”

Rhys gulped, _The whole case is riding on this! I'd better think it through carefully!_ After a moment of thought, Rhys suggested that he sounded the clock for the court. Holding the heavy clock that was also a murder weapon, he prepared himself for what was to come. “I ask the court to listen very carefully.”

He twisted the head of the clock to the side. The clock beeped, and then a monotone voice scratched out, “I think it's 8:25.”

The court was taken aback, the judge and prosecution in shock. Rhys asked the prosecutor what time it was, to which he answered... three hours later.

Rhys was mentally celebrating, he had this case in the bag! But of course, nothing is ever as easy as it seems in a court of law.

“ While it may seem like that clock IS running three hours slow... It proves nothing! How do you know it was running three days slow on the day of the murder!? If you can't prove that, you don't have a case!” Sawhit taunted.

He’d almost had it, he’d almost gotten one of his childhood best friends a not guilty verdict and saved his life.

“Mr. Knight? It seems you lack the critical evidence to support your claim.”

It was Rhys now who was sweating bullets, “Yes, Your Honor.”

“This means I cannot let you indict the witness.” The judge continued, “Unfortunately... This ends the cross-examination of Mr. Frank Sahwit.”

He was sure the witness said something, but he couldn’t hear him over the pounding in his ears.

“Not so fast, Mr. Sahwit!”

Rhys turned his head so fast he wondered momentarily if he got whiplash. “Nesta! I mean, Chief!”

Nesta looked at him with a hard glaze, “Listen up, Knight! Don't throw this one away, not like this! Think!”

Rhys looked back at her dejectedly, “But, Chief, it's over. I can't prove the clock was slow the day of the murder! Nobody can prove that!”

Nesta winced, “Um... well, yes. But that doesn't mean you can't still win! Try thinking out of the box! Don't waste time doubting the facts. Assume the clock was three hours slow and... Think through it! Ask yourself, "Why was the clock three hours slow"? Figure out the reason, and you'll have your proof! Right, Knight? Can you think of a reason as to why the clock would be three hours slow?”

Rhys thought it over for a moment, “...Wait! Maybe I can prove it!”

Nesta nodded at him encouragingly, “You must have evidence somewhere that can prove it, Knight! Find it and let them have it!”

The judge interrupted their conversation, “Well, Mr. Knight? You say the clock was already running slow on the day of the murder... Have you found evidence to support this claim?”

Rhys nodded, “Of course. There is a piece of evidence in the Court Record that can prove my claim beyond a doubt!”

“Hah!” Sawhit guffawed, “Tough words! Let's see you pull this one off!”

“Take that!” Rhys presented the victim’s passport, “The victim had just returned home from abroad the day before the murder. As we all know, the time difference between here and Paris is nine hours! When it's 4:00 PM here, it's 1:00 AM the next day there. The clock wasn't three hours slow, it was nine hours fast! The victim hadn't reset her clock since returning home! That's why the time you heard when you struck her dead in her apartment was wrong! Proof enough for you, Mr. Sahwit? Or should I say... Mr. Did It!”

The courtroom burst into loud murmurs. Sahwit groaned in agony before falling to the ground with a thud, unconscious. The courtroom escalated from murmurs to outrage.

The judge slammed his gavel three times, “O-order! Order, I say!”

A few bailiffs ran into the courtroom, locking the unconscious man in handcuffs before lifting him onto a stretcher, escorting him out of the courtroom.

“Well...” The judge cleared his throat, “This case has certainly turned out differently than we all expected. Mr. Payne... your witness?”

“He... er... he was arrested and has been taken away, Your Honor.” Payne fanned himself, knowing there was no way for him to get out of it now.

The judge nodded, “Very well. Mr. Knight?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Rhys responded.

“I have to say, I'm impressed.” The judge continued, “I don't think I've ever seen someone complete a defense so quickly... and find the true culprit at the same time!”

Rhys almost blushed, “Thank you, Your Honor.”

The judge turned forward to address the court as a whole. “At this point, this is only a formality, but... This court finds the defendant, Mr. Larry Butz... Not Guilty!”

The courtroom burst out into cheers and applause.

The judge gave a small smile, “And with that... The court is adjourned.”

Rhys breathed out a sigh of relief, not bothering to hide his smile.

* * *

**August 3, 2:32 PM**  
**District Court**  
**Defendant Lobby No. 2**

Rhys blew out another sigh of relief. _Whew... I still can't believe we won!_

“Knight! Good job in there! Congratulations!”

“Th-thanks, Chief. I owe it all to you.”

Nesta smiled brightly at him, a rarity for the stern chief he had trained under, “Not at all, not at all! You fought your own battles in there. It's been a while since I've seen a trial end on such a satisfying note!”

_I've never seen the chief looking this happy... If she's this glad, imagine how Larry must feel!_

And speak of the devil... “My life is over...” Larry cried.

“Larry!” Rhys admonished, “You're supposed to be happy! What's wrong now!?”

“Aww, Rhys... Don't worry 'bout me! I'll be dead and gone soon!”

“Good!” Rhys hesitated when he realized what he had said, “Wait, no! I mean... Bad! Bad bad bad! Larry, you're innocent! The case is closed.”

Larry looked like he could burst into tears any moment, “... But... but my Cindy-windy's gone, man! Gone forever!”

Rhys fought the urge to roll his eyes, _Larry, she was a... Nah... Never mind._

Luckily, the chief was there to save the conversation, “Congratulations, Harry!”

Larry looked at her blankly, “H-Harry...?”

“Yes, you! I can practically see the headlines now: ‘Harry Butz, Innocent!’” She smiled kindly at him.

“Heh... um... thanks!” Larry smiled sheepishly, “I really owe you one. I won't forget this, ever! Let's celebrate! Dinner? Movie? My treat!”

Rhys could’ve sworn the chief blushed, “Oh, no, I couldn't.”

 _Hey, I was the one who got you off the hook!_ Rhys glared at Larry.

“Oh, hey!” Larry continued his conversation with Nesta, “H-here, take this! It's a present!” He handed her The Thinker, the clock that had been the murder weapon.

The chief looked bewildered, “A present? For me? Wait... Wasn't this the evidence that...”

“Actually, I made this clock for her! I made one for her and one for me.” 

“R-really? You? You made this?” Nesta looked impressed, “...Well, thank you. I'll keep it as a memento.”

“Yo, Rhys... Can you believe it? I was so into that chick... And... and she was just playing me for a fool! Don't that make you wanna just cry?” Larry began to overdramatically sob.

Rhys sighed, “Larry...”

“...Are you so sure?” Nesta cocked her head at him.

“Ex-squeeze me?” Larry stared at her blankly.

“I think she thought quite a lot of you, in her own way.” Nesta continued.

“Nah, you don't gotta sympathize with me, 'sokay.” Larry rapidly shook his head.

“Oh, I'm not just sympathizing, really. Isn't that right, Knight? Don't you have something to show your friend? Something that proves how she felt about him?” The chief nudged him.

“H-huh? Oh, yeah, right!” What the heck is she talking about? ...Oh!

“Take that!” He presented The Thinker to Larry, “Check this out, Larry. Proof Positive you weren't just some chump to her.”

“Huh...?” Larry looked at it blankly, “What about that clock?”

“This is the clock YOU made for her, Larry!” Rhys exclaimed, “And she took it with her when she traveled.”

“Whatever. She probably just needed a clock, that's all.” Larry shrugged him off.

“You think so? It's a pretty heavy clock to take traveling.” Rhys countered, but Larry was only silent in reply. “Well, make of it what you will.”

“...Hey, Rhys. I'm glad I asked you to be my lawyer. Really, I am. Thanks.” Larry gave him a thumbs up.

Rhys couldn’t help but smile at his friend, _Hope that made him feel a little better..._

* * *

_Knight? I hope you see the importance of evidence now. Also, hopefully you realize, things change depending on how you look at them. People, too. We never really know if our clients are guilty or innocent. All we can do is believe in them. And in order to believe in them, you have to believe in yourself. Knight... Listen. Learn. Grow strong. Never let go of what you believe in. Never._

* * *

“Well, I think our work here is done! Shall we be off?” Nesta turned toward the exit of the court.

“Yeah, I guess so!” Rhys replied, moving to walk beside her.

“Say, how about dinner. On me? We'll drink a toast to innocent Butz!” She laughed.

Rhys nodded, “Yeah!”

“Oh, speaking of Harry... You were saying part of why you became a lawyer was because of him.”

“Er, yeah. Part, at least.” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“You'll have to tell me more about it sometime! Maybe... over drinks?” She winked at him, speeding up despite Rhys’ shouts to wait up.

_And so, my first trial came to a close. Larry slapped me on the back and said, "Gee, Rhys, it's good to have friends!" But I'm pretty sure he's not going to pay us. Unless you count the clock he gave Mia. ... I didn't know it then... but that clock was soon going to be at the center of another incident. And my promise to tell the chief about me and Larry... would be one promise that I wouldn't be able to keep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna break down some stuff for anyone new to either fandom:
> 
> Rhysand Knight (Rhys) is based off Phoenix Wright (Nick), a rookie defense attorney. He goes by both Rhys to friends, and Rhysand to everyone else. Knight is a surname I came up with to match Phoenix Wright, the main character from the Ace Attorney series, while also alluding to the Night Court.
> 
> Nesta Archeron is based off Mia Fey, Rhys/Nick’s mentor and boss.
> 
> Larry Butz (unchanged) is one of Nick’s childhood best friends and the defendant for this case. I didn’t choose Cassian or Azriel, Rhys’ childhood best friends, for a reason.
> 
> Winston Payne (unchanged) is the prosecutor for this specific case- I wouldn’t worry about him too much, he only appears like once per game.
> 
> There are plenty more characters to meet, but we’re not going to worry about them until the next chapters!


	2. Turnabout Sisters - Investigation I

**September 5, 9:08 PM**  
**Archeron & Co. Law Offices**  
**Reception**

“Uh oh, I'm late.” Rhys murmured under his breath as he opened to door to the office, which was unusually dark, “Huh, that's strange. The chief must have gone home already. She said her sister was coming over so we should all go out for dinner...” A strange odor engulfed the room, nearly making Rhys gag, _What's that smell? Blood? Nesta!_

Rhys rushed into the Chief’s office, only to find it in complete disarray. He looked around in horror before he heard the sound of quiet sobbing and a soft-spoken “Sis...”

Rhys stilled, _Someone's here!_ He tiptoed around the dark, mess of a room before... the body of the Chief, lifeless and slumped down below the window. Beside her body rested a young girl dressed in strange clothing no older than eighteen or nineteen. She held his boss’ hand as she quietly cried.

She took notice of him, as she stood quickly and began backing away from him. Rhys held his hands up in surrender. “Who are you?”

The strange girl didn’t speak as she stared at him blankly before suddenly dropping out cold. In shock, Rhys moved and left her lying on the reception sofa.

He went back to the chief where she lay under the window. Her body was still warm, he could feel it when he held her shoulder. Then, all too quickly, it began to fade... Until finally she was cold. “Chief...” Rhys murmured quietly. He wiped the stray tears and pulled himself up off the floor. _Now was not the time to mourn._

“Right! I'd better call the police!” He moved over to the phone, picking it up off of the receiver. “That's funny, a few of the screws on the receiver are missing. It looks like someone was halfway through taking it apart.” He inspected the phone carefully.

“Police!? Please, come quick!” A distant, feminine voice shouted from outside the window Nesta’s body was under.

Rhys turned quickly to see a very pink woman, “She's staring right at me! She's holding a phone in her hand...”

 _Nevermind that,_ He thought to himself, _Focus on the matter at hand... the Chief._

He examined the Chief’s body. He saw The Thinker, a clock statue that had been the murder weapon in his last (and only) case, lying next to her. There was blood coating one side of the statue, and it had looked like the Chief had died from blunt force trauma to the head. Looking to the other side of her body were glass shards scattered across the floor. At the last minute he’d noticed that there was a white piece of paper lying by her hand.

The paper turned out to be a receipt from a fancy department store here in Los Angeles. Most chillingly, on the back, written in blood, was someone’s name. Rhys decided to leave the room alone. He went back to the reception to check on the girl- who was now missing.

 _I put her right there on that sofa...! Uh oh... I hope she didn't run on me._ Like magic, she showed up right before his eyes. He muffled a yelp of surprise, _Don't scare me like that!_ “Excuse me but, who are you?” The girls remained silent again. “It's okay. I work here.” Rhys tried once more.

“Feyre... Feyre Archeron.” The girl finally spoke.

“Feyre... Archeron?” Rhys blinked, _So Mia was writing this girl's name! Maybe I should show her the receipt? I never thought there'd be a use for evidence like this outside the courtroom!_ He suddenly frowned, _She seems to be in shock. I don't want to disturb her, but I have to know..._ “Can you tell me what happened?”

Feyre nodded, “I came in. The room was dark. And sis... sis...”

Rhys’ suspicions were confirmed, _So she was already dead._ “So, you're the chief's...?”

“Sister.” She sniffled, “I'm her younger sister.”

“And you were here... visiting?” Rhys looked at her with suspicion, “This late at night?”

“Yes. She said she wanted me to keep some evidence for her.” She hesitated for a moment, “The clock... "The Thinker."”

They both stood in silence, Rhys contemplating how to word what he had to say next, “Before Mia died, she wrote a message with her own blood. She wrote it on the back of this receipt.”

Feyre looked shocked as she began stuttering out a response, “That's _my_ name! Why!? Why would she write my name?”

Rhys awkwardly ganded her a tissue from the reception desk, “Please, just calm down.”

Feyre took the tissue and held it in her hand, unused, “Why would sis write my name?”

Rhys felt sorry for the poor girl who stood before him, _Uh-oh. Now I've done it..._

The sound of sirens caused them both to freeze. They looked to each other nervously before the door to the office was slammed open.

“Freeze! Police!” A man with long auburn hair and a green overcoat ran in, “Alright, I'm Detective Lucien Vanserra, see? We received a report from the building across the way, see. Got a person saying they saw a murder.”

 _It must have been that woman I saw._ Rhys thought.

“Anyway,” The detective continued, “I don't want either of you moving one inch, 'kay?”

Rhys sighed, _Great. Just great. Maya..._ He looked to the girl, _Wait, she wouldn't have... nah._

“Whoah! Scuze me!” He said loudly, making Feyre squeak. He ignored her, “This word "Feyre" here mean anything to you?”

Feyre looked stunned, “Um... that- that's my name...”

“What!?” The detective exclaimed, “The victim drew this here note in her own blood, see? With her dying breath, she wrote down the killer's name!” Vanserra concluded.

Feyre was shaking, looking at the detective with wide eyes. Rhys couldn’t help but feel bad for her, this had to have been the worst night of her life. “Killer? I'm not-“

“Case closed!” The detective was smiling, “You're coming down to the precinct, ma'am.”

“Wait, what?” Feyre looked helpless as the detective led her out of the office. Rhys could only watch, the guilt nearly consuming him.

_I was taken in for questioning and didn't get out until the next morning. My eyes were heavy... but I couldn't sleep. I sat around, waiting for visiting hours to begin at the detention center. I had to talk to Feyre as soon as possible._

* * *

**September 6, 9:07 AM**  
**Detention Center**  
**Visitor's Room**

Rhys sat down in front of a small plexiglass window. The detention center had cameras everywhere, and a guard had already been standing in the room to boot. _Wow, they have poor Feyre locked up like a criminal._

“Oh! It's you!” Feyre exclaimed as she walked into the visitor’s room, “The lawyer. Good morning.”

“Good morning!” He chirped back, even as he noticed the bags under her eyes. _She looks so tired..._

Feyre looked at him nervously, “Are you going to be my attorney?”

“Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about...” Rhys wrung his hands together, “It's up to you.”

Feyre looked confused, “Up... to me?”

Rhys nodded, “I don't think this is something I should decide. After all, you're the one in trouble here.”

Feyre sniffled, looking down at her hands, “They're never going to believe me, are they? Even you, when you found me in the office. You looked at me like I had done it!”

 _Did I look at her like that?_ Rhys was shocked, “No, no! I never thought...”

“It's okay. I understand. And... I've also heard about you.” She smiled a little bit.

Rhys was intrigued, “Heard what about me?”

“Well, I was talking to my sister on the phone the other day...”

_"Today was my junior partner's first time in court."_

_Feyre couldn’t help but smile at her sister’s happiness, “Wow! Really? How'd that go?”_

_"It was quite the scene! Honestly, I was on edge the whole time. It's been a while..."_

_”Hah!” Feyre couldn’t help herself, “So, he crashed and burned?”_

_Nesta was silent for a moment, "...He's a genius. One of those 'strike fear into the hearts of evil' types... The only thing he's lacking is... experience."_

_”Huh, sounds like it was fun! Well, I know who to go to if I ever get into trouble now!”_

_"I don't know, Feyre.” Her sister’s voice was stern. Serious. “I think you might want to wait... give him three more years. That is, unless you want to be found guilty."_

“That's what she said!” Feyre smiled, but it quickly dropped when she saw the look on Rhys’ face, “I'm sorry! I didn't mean to trouble you...”

Rhys waved her off, “No, it's okay. It's true, I guess. But... at the same time, I can't just sit and watch! When I think of the person who did this to Mia...”

Feyre looked sad again, “...I know...”

Rhys proceeded to talk to Feyre about anything and everything he could think of. He found out that she was an acolyte, and her strange clothing was her uniform. Even more, that she’s a “spirit medium”, meaning that she could channel spirits through her own body. Apparently, majority of the women in the Fey family had some sort of spiritual powers- including Mia. Rhys had the idea for Feyre to channel Nesta, but she shot it down quickly, claiming that she was still in training and could not fully channel a spirit yet.

He then asked her about the day of the murder, finding out that she had recorded a conversation between her and Nesta on her cell phone about “The Thinker”, but the detective had confiscated her phone upon arrival to the precinct.

Feyre had a strange look on her face. Rhys happened to catch it, giving her a small smile. “Something the matter?”

Feyre seemed nervous, “I was wondering, could I ask you a favor?” Rhys nodded for her to go ahead, “This is the address of a famous lawyer. My sister gave me this a long time ago. She said if I was ever in trouble, I should call him. And, well, I'm in trouble. Do you think you could go ask him to represent me?” She looked hopeful.

Rhys hesitated only for a moment before shrugging, “Sure, why not? I'll go ask.”

Feyre smiled, brighter than she had done all day, “Thank you so much! I have no one else to turn to.”

“What about your parents...?” Her silence was answer enough, “I see. Don't worry, leave it to me.”

“Thank you!” Feyre smiled again, “The trial's tomorrow at 10:00.”

Rhys was shocked, “What!? Tomorrow!?”

“Tomorrow.” Feyre affirmed.

Rhys looked nervous, “What if this guy refuses!?”

Feyre shrugged, “They told me that if I don't find one, the state will pick an attorney to defend me.”

“When will that happen?”

“They're giving me until 4:00 this afternoon.” Feyre looked at him with urgency in her eyes.

 _And visiting hours are almost up... I'd better hurry!_ Rhys stood quickly, pushing in his chair as he left, “Right, I'll be back!”

* * *

**September 6**  
**Grossberg Law Offices**  
**Grossberg’s Office**

_According to the receptionist, the big boss is "out". She couldn't say when he'd be back. It must be hard to keep track of everything when you're a famous lawyer... Not to mention run an office like this. I guess I'll just have to come back later._

The only thing Rhys noticed before he left was a very large painting that took up most of the wall. At least it was better looking than the one in the Archeron & Co. office. Speaking of...

* * *

**September 6**  
**Archeron & Co. Law Offices**  
**Nesta’s Office**

_The office is filled with police officers. They're all busily searching for clues..._

“Hey! You there!” The detective from last night called out, startling Rhys out of his thoughts, “This is a crime scene, pal! No trespassing! Umm... Sorry, don't I know you from somewhere? Wait, you're that Butz guy, aren't you!”

Rhys looked at him incredulously, “No, no, Rhysand Knight.” _How could anyone mistake me for Larry!?_

“Ah, guess I got the wrong name, Mr. Knight. Sorry 'bout that. That Butz guy, he was a killer! And you're no killer! Right?” The detective smiled at him.

 _He_ was _proven innocent..._ “Right. And you were Vanserra, wasn't it? Lucien Vanserra?

“Right! At your service.” Vanserra smiled wide, “Hang on! That's Detective Vanserra to you, pal! Anyway, get the name right. And don't go calling me "Lucien”

“Hey, Dick! Get over here!” One of the policemen shouted from the other side of the office.

“Yes, sir! Be right there! Um,” The detective had flushed a bit, “Ahem! You're the girl’s lawyer, right, pal? If you got business here, you'd better do it quick!”

Rhys let out a small sigh of relief, _Whew! He thinks I'm Feyre's lawyer!_

He managed to get Nesta’s autopsy report out of the detective. He was right, she had died from blunt force trauma to the head. He asked him if he knew anything about tomorrow’s trial, only to find out that Edgeworth, a feared prosecutor that would go to many ends to get a guilty verdict, was on the case.

_So, Edgeworth is on this one... He hasn't lost a case since he became prosecutor at the incredibly young age of 20. Of course, there are rumors of back-alley deals and forged evidence. All I know for sure is that Edgeworth hates crime with an almost abnormal passion. I never imagined I'd be facing him so soon, not after our past..._

He also managed to get Feyre’s cell phone back with a little bit of flattery toward the detective. He handed it to him with a smile, telling him that there weren't any suspicious call records. It seemed as though he hadn’t found the recorded call.

“You all done, pal?” Vanserra was getting impatient.

Rhys nodded, “Yes, thank you. I'll be heading out now.” He turned to the door.

“Oh, wait.” Vanserra stopped him in his tracks, “One more thing I wanted to mention to you. I don't suppose you're planning on talking to that witness. Anyway, you'd better not! No influencing the witness with your lawyerly ways, pal!”

 _Come to think of it, I had completely forgotten about her._ “The witness?” Rhys asked.

“Yeah, Miss April May. I'm sorry 'bout this... But I can't tell you anything about her!”

 _Well, you just told me her name. Miss May, huh?_ Rhys fought the urge to roll his eyes, “So you've sent her home already, then?”

“Ahah!” Vanserra glared at him, “You're trying your lawyerly tricks on me now! She's not to go outside her room until the trial!”

 _So, she's still in the hotel across the way._ “I guess I should know better than to try to get a detective to leak information.” He said, trying to keep a sarcastic tone out of his voice.

“You got that right, pal!” Vanserra said as Rhys turned away.

Rhys smirked as he exited the office. _Time to pay a visit to Miss May!_

* * *

**September 6**  
**Gatewater Hotel**  
**Room 303**

“Well! Hello there, handsome.”

“Um... hi.” Rhys grimaced. _Smooth, Knight, real smooth._

“You're the lawyer, aren't you?” A very pink woman, the same one from last night giggled. Her clothes, hair, and even her eyes were pink. “The detective told me... He said, ‘Don't say nothing to that lawyer, pal!’ Tee hee!”

Rhys fought the urge to sigh, _Memo to self: thank Detective Vanserra for making my job harder._

“Gee! This is all like something out of a movie! It's all so exciting I can hardly contain myself! Ooh! Let me go freshen up so I can look the part of the beautiful eyewitness!” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, batting her eyes at Rhys before moving to her bathroom.

Rhys finally let out that sigh. _I pity the lawyer that has to cross-examine this one._ He looked around the room, finding nothing too out of the ordinary for a hotel room except... _There's a screwdriver stuck in this drawer. I wonder what's inside? Let's take a look..._

“Hey!” April screeched, making Rhys jump. She had a crazed look on her face, much different from the soft, girlish one she had shown him before. “What are you doing!? No touching! Oooh. Bad boy!” She smacked his hand away from the drawer, pushing it back in place, “You really shouldn't pry around in other people's rooms, now. You wouldn't want to make me upset, would you?”

Rhys looked at her incredulously, _Upset!? I thought she was going to explode for a second there! I wonder what could be inside the drawer?_

He cleared his throat, trying to get some information her or about anything she saw. Alas, the woman only flirted with him the entire time, or refused to give information. After a few minutes, Rhys finally gave up and decided to try that lawyer’s office one more time.

* * *

**September 6th**  
**Grossberg Law Offices**  
**Grossberg’s Office**

The office was just as vacant as before. _Hmm... seems like Mr. Grossberg is out. Well, maybe I should just wait here for him to come back._ Someone suddenly cleared their throat behind Rhys, making him jump.

“Ah hah! So, you're the one they say has been looking for me?” A larger man in his fifties chuckled.

Rhys blinked, “Uh... Yes, that's me!”

“Hmm...? That badge on your collar...? Ah, so you're a lawyer, are you now?” Grossberg sniffed.

“Yes, well...” Rhys cleared his throat, “Yes.”

“And what do you want? I'm not particularly busy these days. Please, proceed!”

_Not busy...? Then how come no one could get in touch with you?_

“Hmm? Something the matter?” Grossberg noted his silence, “You came to see the one-and-only Nolan Grossberg, did you not? Well, here I am, boy! What do you want? Out with it!”

“Well, sir, actually it's about Feyre.” Rhys noticed Grossberg’s blank stare. “Feyre Archeron.”

The blank stare changed to recognition, then surprise, and finally... regret, it seemed. “Ah, yes. Feyre Archeron. Go on.”

_Hmm? Why the strange reaction?_

“A-cha-cha.” It seemed that Grossberg had realized what Rhys was going to ask, “I'm really quite busy here, son. I can't go taking cases on a day's notice! No, it's quite impossible.”

“Wait a second!” Rhys stopped him, “How did you know the trial was tomorrow!?”

Grossberg looked taken aback by the confrontation, but shook him off. “Anyway, I'm afraid it's entirely impossible for me to represent her. Sorry. End of discussion.”

_What's going on!? He refused me before I even got a chance to ask him! What do I tell Feyre?_

He tried to argue Feyre’s case once more, but it was no use. He tried changing the subject, finding out that his connection to the Fey’s was through Nesta, who he had mentored alongside someone named Cass. When he tried to plead for Feyre’s case one last time, saying it’s what Nesta would’ve wanted, Grossberg all but physically kicked him out of his office.

With unshed tears in his eyes Rhys stormed out of the Grossberg Law Offices, already regretting what he was going to have to tell Feyre.

* * *

**September 6th**  
**Detention Center**  
**Visitor’s Room**

“Hiya.” Rhys waved nervously as he entered the visitor’s room again.

“Oh! You're back!” That same hopeful look was still etched onto Feyre’s face, “Did you find the lawyer?”

“Um,” _What do I tell her?_ “Well, see, I really don't think you should use that guy. He didn't seem healthy. He was all skin and bones!”

Feyre was staring at him, unimpressed, “...What really happened?” Rhys was silent, letting Feyre figure it out on her own. “You don't mean... He refused to help?” Rhys could only nod. “...I see. I've been abandoned, then.”

He talked a little more with Feyre. He found out that Nesta was her last living immediate family. She had some other family back in her village, but she was only close to one person- her cousin who she called “Lainie”. Her mother had disappeared when Feyre was young. She had channeled a spirit who was murdered for the police. The spirit told the police who killed him, but the person turned out to be innocent. Her name had been tarnished, so she had ran. She then told him about a person named “White”, who had apparently been the person behind the whole case, and had purposely wanted to tarnish her mom’s name.

Rhys didn’t know what to say to all that, so he responded in the only way he thought he could. He handed Feyre’s cell phone back over so she could listen to the message- and her sister’s voice one last time. He stood against the wall beside the window to give Feyre some semblance of privacy. When she was done, she handed the cell phone back over. It looked as if she’d been crying again, but he wasn’t going to say anything about that.

Feyre cleared her throat. “Just a little longer now before the state-appointed lawyer comes, I guess...”

Rhys checked his wristwatch. _4:00 PM. Time's up. What should I do? Do I just leave her and go home?_

He looked at Feyre, the sadness in her eyes gripping him like a vice. He couldn’t just let some bottom of the barrel attorney defend Nesta’s little sister. Nesta... Nesta would’ve wanted him to do this.

He slammed his hand down on the table before him, as if he was in court, “I've made up my mind! I'm going to defend you whether you want me to or not!” He said convincingly.

Feyre looked at him, shocked, “Why?”

“Why? Well...” Rhys gulped, reminiscing on a memory of long ago. _No one is as sad as a person without any friends. I know, I've been there. A long time ago. Why did I become a lawyer in the first place? Because someone has to look out for the people who have no one on their side._ “Feyre... I won't abandon you. You can count on me.”

“That's so kind of you,” She sniffled as tears rolled down her cheeks once again.

Once she had calmed down, Rhys smiled at her encouragingly. “Well! Let's fight this one and get you out of here!”

“Right!” She nodded rapidly, wiping at dried tears, “Thank you!”

Rhys stood, ready to leave the detention center before pausing and looking back down at Feyre. “One last question. You are innocent, right?”

“Yes!” She glared at him, but her gaze softened, “And I trust you. So you trust me, too, okay?”

“It's a deal.” He gave her the best smile he could muster, leaving the detention center for the second time that day. _So, what next... There's something that's been bugging me... Just what was inside that strange woman's drawer? It was when I tried to look into the drawer that she got all defensive. There has to be something in there!_

**September 6th**  
**Gatewater Hotel**  
**Room 303**

“Good afternoon, sir!”

Rhys turned around swiftly to see a man wearing an extravagant servant’s costume. “Excuse me, you are...?”

“Ah, I beg your pardon, sir! I am the bellboy of this establishment, at your service, sir.” He did a small bow, “I've just come up to deliver room service, sir.”

“Do you know where Miss May might be?” Rhys asked the bellboy.

“Ah. I believe our guest Miss May is currently using the, er, facilities...?” The bellboy blushed, “If you've no need of anything, I'll be taking my leave. Please, stay as long as you like. Erm... enjoy.”

“Yeah...” He then realized what the bellboy was insinuating, “Wait, no! Hey!” Rhys grumbled, _Why does it seem like every time I come here, I end up embarrassing myself? Wait... now's my chance to snoop around a bit!_

“Ah, I almost forgot!”

Rhys jumped at the sudden voice. “Gah! You came back quick!”

The bellboy ignored his outburst, “Might I ask you to inform Miss May that there is a message for her? Please tell her that Mr. White, of Bluecorp phoned.”

“Oh, right. Sure.” He waited for the bellboy to shut the door before pondering on what he said, _Mr. White... of Bluecorp? Where have I heard that name? Wait a minute... "White" was the name of the guy who ruined Nesta and Feyre's mother! Could it be a coincidence?_

Rhys shook it off. He had to look inside that drawer before Miss May came back. _Now's my chance to see what's inside!_ He pulled open the drawer, thankful that it didn’t creak. _What do we have here! A wiretap? What would a woman like her be doing with a thing like this?_ He shoved the wiretap in his pocket, making sure he was alone before doing so. _There is definitely something suspicious about this "Miss May"! Why would she have something like this in her hotel room? There's a story behind all this, I know it! Alright, I'll be using this bit of evidence in tomorrow's trial, that's for sure. For Maya's sake. I look forward to tangoing with you tomorrow, Miss May! In court!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Breakdown:
> 
> Feyre Archeron is based off Maya Fey, a spirit medium and Nesta/Mia’s younger sister. Maya during this game is seventeen, but I aged Feyre up to nineteen because it’s her age in the first book.
> 
> Lucien Vanserra is based off Dick Gumshoe, a himbo-like detective who works under a prosecutor we will meet in the next chapter.
> 
> Nolan Grossberg is based off Marvin Grossberg, an older defense attorney who will not help Feyre for what seems to be a personal reason.
> 
> Also, Elain will not be Nesta and Feyre’s sister in this story, she’s their cousin! More on that later.


End file.
